Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan said on Thursday that no discussions are underway about Pakistan taking military action in Yemen under the new Mecca defense pact.
The comments from Khan came a day after Turkish media reported that Pakistan was likely to carry out airstrikes in Yemen at the request of Saudi Arabia, which is facing missile and drone attacks from Ansar Allah, a response to Saudi airstrikes in Yemen.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has also suggested publicly that the Ansar Allah attacks on Saudi Arabia could trigger the Mecca pact, a three-way military agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey that was signed in early August.
But when asked at a press briefing about the reports and whether Pakistan was planning military action in Yemen, Khan said, “Pakistan will act upon this agreement in terms of its stipulations. But, as of now, there is no discussion of this kind that you are referring to.”
Khan’s press briefing came as it became clear that Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, have made significant gains against Saudi-backed forces on the ground and have taken the Red Sea port city of Mocha. Saudi airstrikes have also continued in Yemen, which Ansar Allah has responded to by launching significant attacks on southwest Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Saudi Aramco oil facilities.
Back in May, Pakistan reportedly deployed a fighter jet squadron to Saudi Arabia under a joint Pakistan-Saudi security agreement, meaning it has the ability to strike against Yemen from Saudi territory. Saudi Arabia reignited the war in Yemen by launching airstrikes against the Sanaa International Airport in July.
